iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro: What should you buy in Black Friday deals?

(Image credit: Future)

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Who are they for?
Key Differences
Best deals
Verdict

Heading into Black Friday, I know very well the one question that shoppers will face heading into the busiest shopping day of the year: which iPhone should they get? That’s why I want to dive deeper into the iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro debate on which new model is the better choice — especially since it's an even more difficult question now that so many sales let you have those devices for free.

With the best Black Friday phone deals already happening, discounts on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro come in different forms. For example, you might be locked into paying for an unlimited data plan for 36 months — or perhaps a trade-in is required to bring down the price. Either way, you have a choice when it comes to getting the best iPhone deals.

I’m going to break down all the biggest iPhone 16 vs. iPhone 16 Pro differences for you, while also highlighting some of my favorite deals for both phones.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Who are they for?

iPhone 16 Pro shown held in hand — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Quite frankly, if you consider yourself a power user, then the iPhone 16 Pro would be the more suitable model to pick. There are reasons why it has the "Pro" name — it’s backed by features that prove it. Therefore, if you want the fastest performance, longest battery life, and the best cameras, the iPhone 16 Pro is the logical choice.

In contrast, the iPhone 16 is more of a mainstream model that’s still satisfying in its own right, even if it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles Apple adds to the Pro version. That makes sense given how the standard iPhone costs less than its sibling. I think it’ll suffice for the vast majority of people, especially if they’re just looking for the basics like using the iPhone for their social media, sending out emails, and watching the occasional videos.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Key differences

Apple iPhone 16 held in the hand. — (Image credit: Future)

Obviously, there are key differences between the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, with most giving the Pro model a distinct advantage. I’m not saying that the iPhone 16 is a total wash, but you’ll get more out of the Pro.

Here’s what the iPhone 16 Pro has going for it:

More premium design. The iPhone 16 Pro looks and feels like the more premium phone, due to how it features a titanium frame and an overall more solid construction.
Larger screen, faster refresh rate. I’ll admit that the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch OLED display looks good, but it’s not as sharp or colorful as the 6.3-inch OLED panel in the iPhone 16 Pro. Not only is it larger, but I can see how the 120Hz refresh rate on the Pro display makes animations and games appear to run smoother than the iPhone 16’s dated 60Hz refresh rate.
Versatile triple cameras. I’ve put the iPhone 16 Pro’s camera to the test against some of the best camera phones out there in a series of 200 photo face-offs, and Apple's phone tops them all. What makes the iPhone 16 Pro awesome is the utility of having three cameras here, rather than just two on the iPhone 16. Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro's dedicated 12MP telephoto camera features a 5x optical zoom that lets me get closer to subjects.
More video recording features. New this year with the iPhone 16 Pro is the ability to shoot natively in 4K 120fps, compared to the iPhone 16’s maximum 4K 60fps video recording. If that’s not enough, the iPhone 16 Pro also packs studio quality microphones that capture higher fidelity audio while recording video.
Faster overall performance. Even though the two phones leverage Apple’s next generation chipset, the iPhone 16 Pro’s A18 Pro silicon is simply much more powerful than the A18 chip in the iPhone 16. While you won’t see a whole lot of difference with basic tasks, where I do see the biggest difference is in how the A18 Pro delivers smoother graphics processing — as well as handling more complex stuff like rendering 4K video.
Longer battery life. Due to its larger size, Apple is able to cram a larger battery in the iPhone 16 Pro. In Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test, it reaches a time of 14 hours and 7 minutes — which is longer than the iPhone 16’s mark of 13 hours and 19 minutes.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Best Black Friday deals

Best iPhones 2024. — (Image credit: Future)

Now I want to spend time dissecting the best deals I’ve found for both the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Like I said at the beginning, there are various sales that practically give them to you for free — though with a catch of some kind. Let me break them down so you can understand if it’s right for you or not.

Technically speaking, you can snatch the iPhone 16 Pro with 128GB for $0.00/month for 36 months. But as is the case with most carriers deals, you're really just getting back the cost of the iPhone 16 Pro in the form of bill credits spread out over 36 months. You're also required to sign up for Verizon's Unlimited Ultimate plan, the most expensive of the carrier's three unlimited data options at $90/month for a single line. If you want to sign up for a cheaper unlimited plan — or if you're an existing Verizon customer who's upgrading your phone without opening a new line of data — you'll need to trade-in a device for credit off the cost of the iPhone.

iPhone 16 Pro: Half off unlimited service for a year @ Mint Mobile
Mint's offer is less about a discount on the iPhone 16 Pro — you're paying $999 for the phone, though you can trade in your current device to get some money back — and more about wireless service through T-Mobile's discount carrier. Buying an iPhone 16 Pro lets you get a year of unlimited data at Mint for $15/month — half off the usual cost. You do have to pay for that service in advance, so that's $180 on top of the cost of the phone.

iPhone 16 vs iPhone 16 Pro: Verdict

Given how there are Black Friday deals on both iPhones that make them practically free, I would recommend getting the iPhone 16 Pro. It’s a much more future proof device from the get-go and its faster processor makes Apple Intelligence run faster. That could be important as Apple adds more AI features in the future that could depend heavily on extra processing power. For example, we’ve seen how the iPhone 15 Pro got access to Apple Intelligence features — while the iPhone 15 was left in the dust.

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John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.